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Tech Thursday: 4 recommended safety apps for women

It’s Women’s Month and safety for women is still a major issue across South Africa. Here are some apps that have been developed for women.

August 9, 2018

It’s 2018 and world has evolved into a technological hub of innovation and progression yet women are still subjected to personal attacks, violence, rape, abuse and the list goes on. One just has to read the headlines online to see the amount of misogyny that exists in the world.

In South Africa alone, the amount of reported cases of women being abducted, raped and killed has risen at an alarming rate. How can technology play a role in trying to combat this reality? There is no one-stop-shop solution but these apps have been developed to try and increase a sense of safety for women.

1. MySOS SA

MySOS is a locally developed app that offers users access to contact details and addresses for doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, vets and police stations in South Africa. It also has a special feature called mySOS Track Me that can track your journey anywhere in SA. If you are running late it checks your GPS location and notifies your emergency SOS contacts. This app will definitely come in handy since we have numerous emergency service providers in the private and public sector.

2. Project Namola App

Project Namola is a local app that provides an Uber-like service for security in Gauteng, Western Cape and Stellenbosch. The app works by using the geo-location of subscribers who need emergency help. By simply pressing a button, a notification is sent to Metro Police of your nearest city who will respond. Project Namola might only be available in a few provinces at the moment but it definitely hints at the possibility of app technology being utilised elsewhere around the country and putting to practice cooperation between communities and police. Namola provides data analytics that allow police to identify crime hotspots and deploy resources accordingly.

3. Bull Horns App

Bull Horns first burst into the spotlight in South Africa in 2014. Made by App Developer Studio, the Bull Horns app allows a panic button to be added to a user’s smartphone. It allows the user to dial their security company or the police automatically in an emergency situation. The app is available on Apple smartphones and is free to download and use. It allows up to five private contacts (preferably who live close by) to be notified in case of an emergency.

4. Women Safety App

Women Safety app is designed to inform and update your close ones if you are in an unsafe place. The app is the fastest and easiest way to update your close ones about your location and other details. With just a tap of a button, the app sends an SMS to a preconfigured number along with your location and a link to Google Map. The app also captures two pics, one with front camera and the other with back camera, and a video or audio clip and uploads it to our server. A link to the pic, audio or video is emailed to a preconfigured email Id(s).